# Marketing 101 for startups: Token launches, memes, reaching devs & more

> with @kimbatronic @amandatylerj @clairekart Welcome to web3 with a16z. Since our show covers both tech trends and company building, today’s topic is all about marketing — including differences between marketing in crypto and traditional tech. The conversation shares a candid look at what works — and...

- URL: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/marketing-101-startups-token-launches-memes-devs
- Authors: [Kim Milosevich](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/kim-milosevich), [Amanda Tyler](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/amanda-tyler), [Claire Kart](https://a16zcrypto.com/team/claire-kart)
- Published: 2025-05-22
- Updated: 2025-09-09
- Focus areas: company building
- Tags: community building, open source, hiring & recruiting, brand & marketing, podcast
- Format: podcast

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[Embedded media](https://open.spotify.com/embed/episode/2pUkk7xBpnOrC4xDylkqFq/video?utm_source=generator)

**with [@kimbatronic](https://x.com/kimbatronic) [@amandatylerj](https://x.com/amandatylerj) [@clairekart](https://x.com/clairekart)**

Welcome to [web3 with a16z](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/). Since our show covers both tech trends and company building, today’s topic is all about marketing — including differences between marketing in crypto and traditional tech.

The conversation shares a candid look at what works — and what doesn’t — when it comes to building reputation and community, attracting developers, hiring teams and agencies, launching tokens, building founder profiles, and more.

Our experts are:

… **Amanda Tyler**, who was most recently Head of Marketing at the Optimism Foundation (and was formerly at Polygon, Coinbase, and Google);

… **Claire Kart**, Chief Marketing Officer at Aztec (who previously was at Risc Zero and SoFi);

… in conversation with **Kim Milosevich**, CMO at a16z crypto (who was formerly VP of Comms at Coinbase, and who has spent decades in tech at a16z, Skype, Yahoo, and elsewhere).

[Embedded media](https://player.simplecast.com/70af9385-5142-4ce5-b989-14d6b759374f?dark=true)

## **Timestamps**

(0:00) Introduction  
(1:41) The Role of Marketers  
(4:52) Tech Marketing vs. Crypto Marketing  
(6:34) Understanding the Core Audience  
(10:56) Marketing for Ethereum and Layer 2 Projects  
(16:09) The Role of Community Managers and Developer Relations  
(25:21) Token Launch Strategies  
(34:42) Building Founders’ Profiles (Without Being Cringe)  
(38:53) How to Support Founders  
(40:55) When to Hire  
(43:05) Consultants vs. Agencies  
(46:08) Structuring a Marketing Team  
(48:27) Finding and Hiring Talent  
(50:36) Building an Editorial Content Operation  
(53:39) International Marketing Strategies  
(56:41) The Role of Events  
(1:01:48) Memes and Crypto Culture  
(1:04:57) Conclusion

*As a reminder, none of the content should be taken as investment, business, legal, or tax advice; please see a16z.com/disclosures for more important information, including a link to a list of our investments.*

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Source: [Marketing 101 for startups: Token launches, memes, reaching devs & more](https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/podcast/marketing-101-startups-token-launches-memes-devs) — a16z crypto. Full archive: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts